New head coach Bruce Arians brought in Mendenhall from Pittsburgh after Mendenhall's season was largely lost to an ACL injury suffered in 2011. At his best, Mendenhall was a 1,000-yard bell cow for Arians in 2010 and 2011, and at 5-10, 225, he was an effective goal-line option (22 rushing scores).
Mendenhall will have a shot to regain that form in the desert, but won't be without competition as 2011 second-round pick Ryan Williams returns from a shoulder injury, and highly productive college backs Stepfan Taylor and Andre Ellington – whom Arians drafted in the fifth and sixth rounds, respectively – will also be in the mix. Mendenhall is the favorite to lead this backfield if he can remain healthy, but a committee could be forged in training camp if one of the young players excels.
The Cardinals offense should also be significantly improved in 2013 after finishing last in rushing and 31st in scoring in 2012. In addition to Arians, new quarterback Carson Palmer and first-round pick guard Jonathan Cooper should give Mendenhall a chance to greatly improve the Arizona ground game.

2012

Despite playing in 15 games and increasing his YPC, Mendenhall saw his rushing yards drop from 1,273 in 2010 to 928 last year, thanks to 96 fewer carries. His touchdowns also fell from 13 to nine, and his production as a receiver declined, too. A down year got even worse when Mendenhall suffered a torn ACL in Week 17, which puts his 2012 season in jeopardy. He’s expected to return at some point – and he impressed onlookers at OTAs in May – but it’s likely he’ll start the year on the PUP list, so expectations should be held in check.

2011

Mendenhall saw his YPC drop to 3.9 last season, but he was given 82 more carries and scored nearly twice as many rushing touchdowns (13 to 7) as he did in 2009. His 21 goal-line carries were the third most in football, and he converted 10 for scores. Despite the increase in rushing attempts, Mendenhall received a similar amount of snaps last year compared to 2009, so it’s not surprising his receiving numbers took a step back. Mendenhall isn’t a flashy runner, but he’s got a nice spin move for someone his size, and he’s clearly established himself as Pittsburgh’s workhorse. For someone approaching 230 pounds, he has pretty good speed, as his 11 carries for 20-plus yards last season were fifth-most in the NFL. Mendenhall would benefit if Pittsburgh’s O-line can rebound from a down year, and he’s one of the few lead backs who gets the majority of the work between the 20s, catches passes and is the main option at the goal line. Just realize he’s coming off the heaviest workload among all running backs, as the team’s Super Bowl run meant he accumulated 385 carries.

2010

Mendenhall bounced back after a lost rookie
season with 1,369 total yards and eight touchdowns
last year, taking over as Pittsburgh’s lead
back. He had just seven carries entering Week
4, so his final stat line looks much more impressive
when you consider it came over just 13
games. Mendenhall’s YPC dropped over the
second half (3.8 compared to 5.7 before), but it
was essentially his rookie campaign, so it was
hardly unexpected. He now knows what to
expect over a 16-game grind in the NFL, and the
Steelers are moving forward with Mendenhall
as their workhorse. He's also a solid option at the goalline, as Mendenhall scored on six of his 12
goal-line carries, which is a strong rate.
Pittsburgh drafted Jonathan Dwyer, but that
was in the sixth round, and Willie Parker is no
longer on the team, so only injury can prevent
Mendenhall from reaching 350 touches. Pittsburgh
has stated a goal of returning to its smashmouth
roots, so an offensive philosophy skewed
more toward running the football is expected.
While the offense will lose some potency with
Ben Roethlisberger suspended the first 4-6
games of the season, that should also result in
Mendenhall being featured quite heavily.

2009

Mendenhall’s rookie season ended when he broke his shoulder Week 4, and he didn’t do much to impress beforehand, gaining just 3.1 YPC. Of course, he wasn’t given much of an opportunity, and nearly half of his 19 carries came against a tough Ravens defense. Mendenhall’s shoulder is fully recovered, and Willie Parker struggled through an injury-plagued season last year. Parker is also in the final year of his contract, so Mendenhall could establish himself as Pittsburgh’s franchise back with a big 2009. After all, the team did draft him in the first round in 2008, so he’ll certainly be given the chance to make his case. Mendenhall will be in a timeshare, but Parker is starting to show signs of breaking down and has converted just three of his 16 goal-line attempts over the past two seasons, so Mendenhall could easily dominate the scoring opportunities.

2008

Mendenhall was something of a one-year
wonder in college, but that one season came in
2007 and was quite impressive (1,999 yards,
19 TDs). He averaged 8.4 YPC on 78 attempts
in 2006, so the skill set was there, and last year
didn't completely come out of nowhere. He was
the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year last
season and enters the NFL with fresh legs, accumulating
just 388 carries throughout his collegiate
career.
At 5-11, 224, Mendenhall has good size, but
he also ran the 40 in 4.4 seconds and possesses
big-play ability. He’s capable of running both inside
and outside, flashing exemplary vision and
quickness. However, he's only carried the ball
200 times in one season, so he’ll need to prove
he's durable and capable of a bigger workload.
Incumbent Steeler feature back Willie Parker
was leading the NFL in rushing when he went
down with a fractured fibula last year, but Parker
struggles in short-yardage situations and as a receiver
out of the backfield. Mendenhall might already
be a better blocker than Parker, and Parker
averaged just 4.1 YPC last season, and that was
before a severe injury to his leg.
Pittsburgh averaged the third-most rushing attempts
per game (31.9) last year, and offensive
coordinator Bruce Arians has already spoke of
using Mendenhall and Parker in the backfield
at the same time. With Ben Roethlisberger and
Santonio Holmes fast becoming superstars, the
offense should enable big numbers from the
ground game. Mendenhall is younger and the
better blocker, receiver and short-yardage runner,
giving him more upside than the incumbent
Parker.